Vehicle wheel and axle.



No1 670,048. Patanted Marl I9, IQUI. M. G. BUNNELL.

VEHICLE WHEEL AND AXLE.

(Application led July 5, 1899.)

(lo Model.)

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NTTE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MORTON G. UNNELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNQR TO FREDERICK C. AUSTIN,OF SAME PLACE.

VEHICLE WHEEL AND AXLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,048, dated March19, 1901.

Application filed July 5, 1899. Serial No. 722.796. No modelo To otZZwhom, t may @o7/werft;

Be it known that I, MoEToN G. BUNNELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement. in Vehicle Wheels and Axles, ofwhich the following is a specilication.

The objects of my invention are to provide an absolutely dust-proofbearing for vehiclewheels, to provide a simple and an inexpensiveconstruction, to reduce the cost of manufacture, to provide a spindle oraxle which can be readily repaired when worn out, to prevent thelubricating-oil from leaking from the ends of the hub, to avoidthreading the spindle or axle, to permit a ready and easy removal of thewheel from the spindle, and to provide certain details tending to rendera device of this character serviceable and thoroughly reliable.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other useful ends I provide theaxle or spindle with a removable wearing-sleeve and arrange theretaining-nut at the inner end of the hub. With this arrangement thesaid sleeve can be utilized as a shoulder to retain the Wheel upon thespindle, and the outer end of the hub can be closed or 1n ade blind. Thesaid retainingnut can be adapted for connection with the hub in anysuitable manner, but preferably by providing it With wedge-like orbeveled portions adapted to engage suitable lugs or projections on thehub, and as a matter of further improvement the said nut can bechambered or recessed to provide a stuffingboX. In this way thebearingwill not only be absolutely dust-proof, but will also be of acharacter to prevent leakage of the oil from the ends of the hub.

Other advantages and features of improvement will hereinafter more fullyappear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section througha Wheel hub and axle embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 isa view of the inner end of the hub. Fig. 3 is a View of theretainingnut.

My invention as thus illustrated comprises a wheel-hub A, a spindle B,and a retaining-nut C. The said hub may be constructed either Wholly orin part of metal and is preferably provided with a box d, having itsouter end closed or made blind. This blind or closed end of thehubboY-may be internally rounded for the purpose of reducing frictionbetween its inner surface and the end of the spindle, though it is ofcourse obvious that a conic formation would effect a like result. Thespindle or axle B can be either Vstraight or tapered and is providedWith a removable wearing-sleeve b. This sleeve may be made in eitheroneor several pieces, but preferably one, and can be secured to thespindle by a transversepfb'. Preferably the said sleeve is reduced orcut away both intcrnallyand externally at its middle portion, andthehub-box has its interior 'correspondingly chambered or recessed toprovide an oil-chamber l. With this arrangementit will be seen that thewheel will ride only upon the outer and inner end portions of thewearing-sleeve and that consequently there will be a minimum of frictionbetween the wheel and spindle.

While the retaining-nut C may be adapted for engaging the hub in anysuitable manner and can be of any ordinary form or pattern, I prefer, asa matter of special improvement, to provide the nut circumferentiallywith notches c and also with beveled or wedgelike portions c', and withreference to such formation of the nut I enlarge the inner end of thebore of the hub-box and provide the same with lugs a. The notches in theflanged portion c3 of the nut permit the latter to pass the lugs o andbe brought to bear against the shoulder or offset d2 of the hub-box, andby then applying a Wrench to the polygonal portion c4 of the nut thelatter can be rotated to an extent to bring the notches out of registerwith the lugs, wedge the portions c' between the lugs and the shoulderor offset a2, and thus firmly lock the nut upon the inner end of thehub. It is also preferable to arrange a leather washer D between the nutand the oiset or shoulder d2, and as a matter of further and specialimprovement the inner end of the nut can be charnbered or recessed toprovide a stufngbox c5. VVheu thus secured to the inner end of the hub,the nut will bear against the inner end of the wearingsleeve b, and inthis way it will be seen that the latter serves as a shoulder to retainthe wheel upon the axle. The Stuffing-box c5, in conjunction with theclosed outer end ofthe hub-box, Will effectually prevent all leakage ofoil from the bearing and Will also render the same positively andabsolutely dust-proof. The Wearing-Sleeve when worn out can be removedand replaced by.a new one, as may also the hub-box, and the sleeve canalso be readily removed for the purpose of permitting a removal of theretaining-nut. While a ange or collar ou the spindle could be providedto serve as a shoulder for the nut,l prefer, as a matter of specialimprovement and with a vieuT to obtaining simplicity and economy ofmanufacture, to utilize the inner end of the sleeve b for such purposeand to adopt an arrangement substantially the same as that shown anddescribed. As a means for permitting' lubrication the hub can beprovided with a duct E, leading,r to the chamber l,

and the outer end of such duct can be closed or covered by a removablecap e.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination of a hub-box havingits end rounded internally to bear against the end of the spindle, aremovable Wearingsleeve arranged upon said spindle, and a retainingrmember removably secured to the inner end of the hub and arranged tobear against the innerend of said sleeve.

2. A vehicle-Wheel, a spindle having a removable Wearing-sleeve which isreduced eX- ternally at its middle portion and correspondingly chamberedinternally, and a hub-box having its interior recessed or chamber-ed,substantially as described.

MORTON G. BUNNELL.

Vitn'esses:

ARTHUR F. DURAND, AGNES A. DEVINE.

